Do you have experience in the cancer system? Are you willing to share your story? Do you have a desire to share a patient’s perspective in a group setting?

If you answered yes, we encourage you to consider applying for Walker Family Cancer Centre’s new Patient Family Advisory Council. The council will help initiate improvements in care for patients and families navigating the cancer care system.

“Patients are the experts in their own care. They understand what they need and can bring their expertise to the Patient Family Advisory Council (PFAC),” says Dr. Janice Giesbrecht, NHS Medical Director of Oncology. “Their input will be valuable to future decision-making involving cancer care at Niagara Health System. We need representatives from all walks of life and all forms of cancer to offer their input so we can learn more from them.”

Also important is the inclusion of cancer patients’ family members on the council, says Charlene Duliban, Advance Practice Nurse, Patient Education Specialist at the Walker Family Cancer Centre.

“There’s a quote that says, ‘A person doesn’t get cancer, a family gets cancer.’ We need everybody’s input,” says Ms. Duliban. “Our supportive care services are offered to the patient and their family members.

The deadline to apply for the PFAC is Friday, August 28. The 10- to 12-member council will have its first meeting in late September. The council, which will include some hospital staff, will decide together its structure, length of terms served, meeting frequency, operating procedures and bylaws.

If you’re interested in applying to become a member of the PFAC, please contact Charlene Duliban 905-378-4647, ext 49142.